Oldie But a Goodie
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A few weeks ago my son, who is xix, was at my parent's place and found my old Calvin and Hobbes books. When I was a few years older than him, there was nothing I loved more, and since then he has become obsessed. He reads them at night, after breakfast and dinner, on the toilet, in the car, and even when he should be getting dressed. He brought home a school assignment about a book and it was a Calvin and Hobbes.
His sister, who is 10, is similarly into Archie comics. New Archies, old Archies, Archies from the 9Os and 80s and 70s. She reads them all of the time too, and leaves them scattered around the house like breadcrumbs. I almost tripped and fell down the stairs the other night on a Jughead Double Digest. Imagine the obituary.
Yes, I love that my kids are reading rather than watching TV or YouTube or something worse. But mostly I love how they love the things I loved. There's this notion that every generation discards the old for the new, rejects culture and how things are done, and forges a fresh path. But also, the good shit is still good. Calvin and Hobbes is as clever and funny a work of genius about childhood than the day it was written, Archies remain delicious candy for the preteen mind
I'm typing on a typewriter in front of my laptop and grinning happily.
Our focus on the novel, especially as consumers, distracts us from the value of good old shit. But the good old stuff remains good. Think of a great album or vintage shirt. Or something like an Eames Lounge chair. It was good then, it is good now. Only the rest of the world has changed.
Most of the good old shit is analog, but sometimes it's digital. I recently plugged in my old Super Nintendo and played it with my son, who is Mario obsessed. He loved it. He even told me he thinks it's more fun than the Swytch versiion
Vintage and antique is often dismissed as nostalgic or ironic, but most of the time it remains viable and desired because it is simply good, today and beyond.